Interview with Linda Furiate and Adam Gainsburg

Linda Furiate – What sparked your interest in becoming a professional astrologer doing client work, research, writing, lecturing and/or teaching?

Adam Gainsburg – It’s more accurate to say astrology chose me. I really have no idea why I practice astrology, other than perhaps because I’m wired for it. Early on of course, we’re filled with the juice of discovering “I can do this”, “I seem to have a knack for this”, “people are having positive benefits from their readings with me or from my writings.” But that wears off, as one grows up astrologically and becomes more intimate with the deeper challenges of one’s life and charts. Why I continue to practice I just don’t know. For the most part I’ve given up asking why; I continue because I’m compelled to. When the compulsion ends, so will my astrological practice.

LF – As a professional astrologer how important is it for you to adhere to a “Code of Ethics” when presenting material that may potentially alter the path of another individual? Why?

AG – Very important. The first thing I teach my students goes something like, When you receive the birth data of someone you’ll be reading for, stop for a few breaths, get quiet inside and remember and re-honor the commitment you’ve made to serve others, even when doing so requires keeping your mouth shut. Because in the wrong hands, that birth data can do a world of negative karma. I’ve been fortunate to attract students who have integrity, a desire to assist others and an amount of humility to have fun with being wrong when they are (and we ALL are wrong more often than we’d like to admit). For this reason, I don’t spell out a Code for them, but inevitably during their educational process, they come to me with questions about how to handle certain situations. And I take those openings to spell out this sort of a priori Code.

LF – What is the coolest thing that has happened to you or been presented to you because of your work in astrology?

AG – My heart is saying, Hasn’t happened yet. My head is remembering a reading for a lady who was living with twelve individual soul signatures within her consciousness. She was wanting to know why this was chosen, why this body, etc. There’s a HUGE cosmological background story behind this, but when I met her finally – after doing lots of prep work – and sat with her for the reading, I can say that my astrology literally improved as a result of that reading and the subsequent one we did. Of course, the more accurate way to say this is that it was our shared presence and unified intention that caused things to accelerate in me and caused her to get some excellent info from me.

LF – Tell us a bit about your BDTB3 Lecture? Who should attend and why?

AG – I’m speaking as a part of the pre-conference Astrology & the Sky track. It’s called “All Conjunctions are Not Created Equal.” I’ll be showing how knowledge of the sky dynamics we astrologers are largely unaware of can instantly reveal and fill in missing dimensions to our delineations, predictions and research. I’d say attend if after reading the description, a voice starts tickling inside your head saying, I wanna know that stuff! There’s some real magic waiting for the mass populace of astrolytes to re-discover the sky in a full and intimate way.

LF – When will you be presenting your BDTB3 lecture? And how can we learn more?

AG – The track runs on Thursday 13 November and I’m in a distinguished group (!) with Andrew Morton, Greg Clare, Julene Packer and Gary Caton. My bit is Thursday 13 November at 1p EST, 6p GMT and 5a on 14 November AEDT. This topic, in fact the theme of the entire track, is one I’m passionate about these days. I call it Sky Astrology and have a number of videos on my site at Soulsign.com. There’s also an upcoming conference focused exclusively on skywatching and educational classes! That’s at SkyAstrologyConference.com

Interview with Linda Furiate and Mari Garcia

Linda Furiate – What sparked your interest in becoming a professional astrologer doing client work, research, writing, lecturing and/or teaching?

Mari Garcia – I became interested in astrology in the 1980’s when I consulted an astrologer who gave me some prescient advice. I became fascinated and later I came to know Bernadette Brady. She suggested I study astrology and subsequently encouraged me to take the astrology further. I helped her for a while with some very basic research and developed my own interest in Mundane astrology as well as the application of traditional techniques in modern settings. I eventually left paid employment and became a full time astrologer in the late 1990’s. In 2002, together with a colleague, Joy Usher, we started Astro Mundi, an astrology school in Adelaide, South Australia.

LF – As a professional astrologer how important is it for you to adhere to a “Code of Ethics” when presenting material that may potentially alter the path of another individual? Why?

MG – I believe a personal Code of Ethics is very important as you set the standards and the boundaries which encompass your practice. It is essential because it keeps you grounded especially when clients put you on a pedestal. I try and remind clients that I can only show the options they have and their possible permutations; they have to make the decisions.

LF – What is the coolest thing that has happened to you or been presented to you because of your work in astrology?

MG – Being asked to speak at UAC twice and being asked to be on a panel discussing fate organized by the Anthropology department at the University of Adelaide.

LF – Tell us a bit about your BDTB3 Lecture? Who should attend and why?

MG – The lecture is about the Nodal Cycle and it is relevant to the student as well as the practitioner. The lecture will explore how the Nodal Cycle brings together both the Solar and Lunar cycles, forming a cycle of becoming and engaging as the Node is formed where the Moon’s orbit, representing the instinctual, cuts across the Sun’s path, the ecliptic representing consciousness. It is not enough to simply be in the world but to be a part of it: what and how this is done, is part of the Nodal process. The placement of the Nodes by sign and house will describe these experiences and their particular relevance to each person.

LF – When will you be presenting your BDTB3 lecture? And how can we learn more?

MG –

Adelaide          12:30 pm Saturday 15th November 2014.

Sydney            1:00 pm Saturday 15th November 2014.

Perth                10:00 am Saturday 15th November 2014.

London            2:00 am Saturday 15th November 2014.

New York        9:00 pm Friday 14th November 2014.

Denver             7:00 pm Friday 14th November 2014.

Los Angeles     6:00 pm Friday 14th November 2014.

Participants can learn more by accessing Astro Mundi Master Classes held between March and October every year. Each Master Class is on a stand-alone topic. Those interested can attend via Skype or they can purchase an audio recording, complete with handouts. 2015 topics are now on the website at http://astromundi.com/workshops.html

Astro Mundi also conducts Astrology courses for beginners and for professionals who wish to expand their knowledge base. All courses are available for on-line attendance or as Distance Education. For more information visit the website at http://astromundi.com/courses.html

 

Interview with Kim Rogers-Gallagher for BDTB3

Linda Furiate – What sparked your interest in becoming a professional astrologer doing client work, research, writing, lecturing and/or teaching?

Kim Rogers-Gallagher – Well, let’s see. I’m primarily an astrological writer and lecturer. I’ve always been one of those people who wrote (rather than doodled) in their notebooks – while they were actually supposed to be taking notes during class. That started either in grammar or high school, but my fondness for writing escalated right around the time I discovered astrology, back in the early 80’s, via a friend who had purchased a floppy disk – “Astro-Something.” Now, remember, at that time, we were using 280’s, kids. Anyway, she ran a print-out of my chart, and although I had always identified with being a Sagittarius, when I read the description of my Mars in Scorpio, I was floored. Who could possibly know all this about me? Of course, it made me uneasy – which I later came to learn made perfect sense. And when I read the blurb about my Moon in AQ, I was sold. Anyway, it became an obsession with me – to find out how this could possibly happen, (see “Mars in Scorpio”), and since I have the Sun in the 9^th, pretty much conjunct the MC, and Mercury in Sag in the 10^th, it only made sense that I’d want to share it some day. The funny part is, I’ve gone through boxes of diaries I wrote back in the 1970’s, and in the first few pages, there were always descriptions of the twelve signs, along with the common traits. I have the Sun in Sag and the Moon and ASC in AQ, and even then, even before high school, I had highlighted Sag and AQ – oh, and I’d copied the glyphs for each sign carefully, several times, in the margins – well before I came to know them as a form of shorthand. I’ve never felt that I “learned” astrology – always that I recognized and remembered it – but I’ve always wanted to share it with others. To me, there’s absolutely nothing else that provides the answers to all the questions, one way or another.

LF – As a professional astrologer how important is it for you to adhere to a “Code of Ethics” when presenting material that may potentially alter the path of another individual? Why?

KRG – The thing I’ve always been most conscious of is the fact that whether or not we mean to, if we present a client with only dire possibilities, we are essentially creating preconceived notions – or basically, planting seeds of unrest and/or negativity. To me, it’s most important to focus in on the positive. That doesn’t mean that I sugar-coat the obvious difficulties of tough Saturn or Pluto transits, for example, but when I mention them, I also mention the positive after-effects. It’s kind of like a physician counseling a patient who’s about to undergo a serious medical procedure. “You can do it. You can get through this and come out a much better person if you focus on all the good things that will be possible afterwards.” Basically, I believe in empowering and encouraging clients.

LF – What is the coolest thing that has happened to you or been presented to you because of your work in astrology?

KRG – The coolest thing? Well, I remember when I was only studying for five or so years and I saw that I was about to have Mars and Pluto conjoin on my own Mars in Scorpio. I was designing at a flower shop, and, fortunately, teaching astrology to the woman who owned it (who, by the way, is a pro astrologer herself now – and yes, I’m very proud). Anyway, I was set to work the next day, but that evening, just before I left work, I showed her my transits and asked for that day off, citing the fact that I might have an accident and require surgery if I left the house. She agreed, so I felt as if I’d already dodged a bullet. Well, late that same night, I bit into a popcorn kernel while relaxing peacefully on the couch – and spent the next day at the dentist’s office having “surgery.” While the experience wasn’t cool, the knowledge was terrific. Basically, if it’s on your astrological schedule, it’s on your schedule, and that’s that. The beauty of astrology is that you can have a say in how and where the energy will land, provided you know what to look for. It’s like surfing. When you know that big wave is coming, you prepare yourself.

LF – Tell us a bit about your BDTB3 Lecture? Who should attend and why?

KRG – Oh, anyone and everyone should attend my lecture. The thing is, while most of us use Chiron, we don’t really understand him. After all, he is the “new kid” on the astrological block. Well, my specialty is explaining astrological critters via modern archetypes – and you really haven’t lived, astrologically speaking, until you’ve heard Chiron’s side of the story, via his myth. I’ll provide that, along with some interesting facts about the actual, physical body. Oh, and then there’s those terrific celebrity examples that will prove his importance. Why would you not want to attend?

LF – When will you be presenting your BDTB3 lecture? And how can we learn more?

KRG – My lecture is called “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Chiron”. I will be presenting on Saturday, 15 November 2014 @ 10:30 a.m. EST. How can you learn more? Be there! We’ll definitely have some fun, at the very least, but since I believe most firmly in both educating and entertaining, you won’t be bored!

Interview with Bill Meridian for BDTB3

Linda Furiate: What sparked your interest in becoming a professional astrologer doing client work, research, writing, lecturing and/or teaching?

Bill Meridian: I had studied astronomy as a boy and was well aware of the planets. I saw that stock market cycles were about the same length as planetary cycles. I also had an interest in psychology and the astro fit in well with these interests.

LF: As a professional astrologer how important is it for you to adhere to a “Code of Ethics” when presenting material that may potentially alter the path of another individual? Why?

BM: I trained to be a bioenergetics therapist for 9 years, and we were all thoroughly coached or instructed in that area. So I do take it very seriously.

LF: What is the coolest thing that has happened to you or been presented to you because of your work in astrology?

BM: Never received any awards, if that is what you mean. The coolest thing was predicting the real estate collapse in 2007-2008. It was my work on market astrology that brought me to the attention of the Arabs, so that is how I wound up in the Middle East. This has now happened twice.

LF: Tell us a bit about your BDTB3 Lecture? Who should attend and why?

BM: This lecture is an extension of the basic lecture about first-trade horoscopes. It involves gathering charts from a group like the software group into one file and then finding the shared degree area within the group. Transits through that group will then move the entire group of stocks.

LF: When will you be presenting your BDTB3 lecture? And how can we learn more?

BM: You can learn more at my website at Bill Meridain My newest book, Planetary Stock Trading 4 is available there. My BDTB3 lecture is entitled: Planetary Stock Trading: Group Analysis. I will be presenting on Friday, 14 November 2014 at 4:00 pm EST.